BJP's central leadership pleased with Bommai's performance: Arun Singh
'to be CM candidate in poll-bound Karnataka'
Bengaluru, Oct 16: The BJP's central leadership is pleased with the performance of Basavaraj Bommai, the party's in-charge for Karnataka Arun Singh said on Sunday, and made it clear that he will be its Chief Ministerial candidate in the poll-bound State.
"They are very happy with Bommai, the kind of work he is doing," the party national General Secretary told PTI in an interview.
Singh was asked about the assessment of the party's central leadership on the performance of the Chief Minister Bommai, the role of BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa, the party's prospects in the Assembly elections, just a few months away, and whether it would project a Chief Ministerial candidate.
He said the BJP would create "history" in Karnataka by exceeding its own target of winning 150 Assembly seats of the total 224, as he highlighted the welfare and development schemes of the Modi and Bommai governments.
Singh said the ruling party would fight the polls under the leadership of Bommai and guidance of Yediyurappa, a four-time Chief Minister and currently a member of the party's central parliamentary board.
"Bommai is the Chief Minister. We are going to contest the elections when he is the Chief Minister. He is the Chief Ministerial candidate. There is no doubt," Singh said.
Describing Bommai, who replaced Yediyurappa as Chief Minister in July last year, as a simple, down-to-earth and polite man, Singh pointed to the former being referred to as "common man's CM" and said he has been drawing good response in public meetings.
"People of Karnataka feel he (Bommai) is like them", he said.
Yediyurappa is the "tallest" leader in Karnataka, and the BJP has his "guidance": Yediyurappa is touring the State to energise the party's cadre and is seeking votes to win 150 seats. "It's a big thing", Singh said.
On what the party is doing to deepen its base in Old Mysuru region (comprising districts such as Mandya, Ramanagara and Hassan), the traditional strongholds of the Congress and JD(S), he said the BJP has increased its tally multifold in the Gram Panchayat elections there.
"Our strength has increased considerably (in the region)," he said. "We will do 'chamatkar' (miracle) in Old Mysuru region this time."
He claimed that many leaders from the Congress and JD(S) in the Old Mysuru region, and 'Kalyana Karnataka' region (which includes districts like Bidar, Raichur and Kalaburagi) are going to join his party as they know that it's going to be the BJP that will form the government and "the future is with the BJP."
Singh sought to ridicule the Congress for setting itself a target of winning 150 seats in the State.
"They have been saying so (setting ambitious targets) in Goa, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur (before the last Assembly elections). They are wiped out. In Goa, out of 11 Congress MLAs, eight have left. 'Quit Congress Abhiyaan' is going on in the country."
The Rajya Sabha member termed the Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' a "flop yatra".
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Steel mirrors deployed in Mysuru to discourage public urination
Mysuru (PTI): Fed up with people relieving themselves along roadsides, the Mysuru City Corporation has adopted a unique strategy to curb the practice and promote civic sense by installing reflective steel mirrors along pavements, officials said on Friday.
In what officials described as a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Corporation installed stainless steel sheets with a mirror finish along an 80-metre stretch opposite the Mysuru Suburban Bus Stand.
Officials said the reflective sheets are intended to confront anyone attempting to urinate in public with their own reflection, thereby discouraging the act psychologically.
“The idea is to maintain cleanliness and hygiene, prevent public nuisance, and promote civic sense. It is a simple yet psychological approach that encourages self-awareness through reflection,” officials added.
Soon after the mirrors were installed, videos of the initiative went viral on social media, with many people appreciating the administration’s innovative attempt to address public urination. At the same time, some users pointed out the lack of basic civic sense among people.
Several social media users also suggested that more public toilets, maintained in a hygienic condition, were needed to further discourage open urination.
Explaining how the idea originated, Nitesh Patil, Administrator and Regional Commissioner of the Mysuru City Corporation, told PTI that despite a public toilet being located next to the bus stand, many people continued to urinate in the open.
Even fines and warnings failed to deter them from relieving themselves against vacant compound walls, leaving behind a foul smell.
“One of our engineers came up with this idea, and we decided to implement it. The initiative has received a very positive response from the public, social media, and the press. We are now planning to identify more such locations in the city and install similar reflectors,” he said.
According to him, to ensure that the installation is both effective and visually appealing, LED lighting that switches on along with the streetlights has also been added, causing the stretch to glow at night and enhancing the city’s appearance.
Patil said the initiative had helped create civic awareness while also beautifying the city.
“We want our city to be clean and hygienic. We aspire to become the cleanest city in the country,” he added, recalling that Mysuru secured third place nationally in the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024–25 last year.
